Dark City

1998
R
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

216K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:14

Cyberpunk Fantasy Mystery Sci-Fi Thriller

A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

216K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,359

301

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 12 wins & 19 nominations

Trivia
A number of pieces of the set, including those used for the rooftop chase, were sold to the production of The Matrix (1999) at the end of shooting.

Goofs
(at around 1h 5 mins) When the glass partition is broken, a second sheet of glass is used to protect Jennifer Connelly. At slow speeds, John's hand is clearly visible reflected in this safety glass.

Quotes
John Murdoch: When was the last time you remember doing something during the day?
Inspector Frank Bumstead: What do you mean?
John Murdoch: I just mean during the day. Daylight. When was the last time you remember seeing it? And I'm not talking about some distant, half-forgotten childhood memory, I mean like yesterday. Last week. Can you come up with a single memory? You can't, can you? You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place. 'Cause I've been up for hours, and hours, and hours, and the night never ends here.

Crazy credits
There are two different Panavision credits used: the "Camera Equipment: Panavision" credit, and after that, the "Filmed in Panavision" credit with "Lenses & Cameras by" above it, despite being shot in Super 35.

Alternate versions
The director's cut omits the opening monologue.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Palmetto/Senseless/Dangerous Beauty/Mrs. Dalloway/Nil by Mouth/Live Flesh (1998)

Soundtracks
Le Chale Bleu
Written by François Perchat (as Francois Perchat)
Sung by Anita Kelsey

User reviews767

Review

Featured review

The thinking man's sci-fi

For science fiction fans the late 90s were great years. The most famous and popular of all was The Matrix but Alex Proyas's much more thought-provoking(which is saying something as the Matrix, at least the first movie was very thought provoking itself) film is just as good. No movie can ever have too much atmosphere, and Dark City exudes it from every frame of celluloid. Alex Proyas' world isn't just a playground for his characters to romp in -- it's an ominous place where viewers can get lost. We don't just coolly observe the bizarre, ever-changing skyline; we plunge into the city's benighted depths, following the protagonist as he explores the secrets of this grim place where the sun never shines. Visually, this film isn't just impressive, it's a tour de force. Thankfully, Dark City doesn't have an "all style, no substance" problem, either, because there's a mind-challenging story to go along with the eye candy. Proyas hasn't written this film for the passive viewer. To become involved in Dark City, thinking is mandatory.